All About Eve Page #10

---

INT. SECOND FLOOR LANDING - NIGHT

Margo shows up again deliberately as she reaches the landing.

Sound of Bill and Eve laughing together from the living room.

Margo strolls toward it casually.

We see Eve seated, looking up fascinated at Bill as he talks -

out of the laughter...

BILL:

"Don't let it worry you," said the

cameraman, "Even DeMille couldn't

see anything looking through the

wrong end-"

(Eve chuckles)

So that was the first and last time-

Eve sees Margo approach. She gets up. Bill turns.

INT. MARGO'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

As Margo strolls up, very off-hand.

MARGO:

Don't let me kill the point. Or isn't

it a story for grownups?

BILL:

You've heard it. About when I looked

through the wrong end of a camera

finder.

MARGO:

(to Eve)

Remind me to tell you about when I

looked into the heart of an artichoke.

EVE:

I'd like to hear it.

MARGO:

Some snowy night in front of the

fire... in the meantime, while we're

on the subject, will you check about

the hors d'oeuvres? The caterer forgot

them, the varnish wasn't dry or

something...

EVE:

Of course.

She leaves. A short lull. Margo looks into cigarette boxes.

Bill eyes her curiosity, crosses to the fire.

BILL:

Looks like I'm going to have a very

fancy party...

MARGO:

Thought you were going to be late-

BILL:

When I'm guest of honor?

MARGO:

I had no idea you were even here.

BILL:

I ran into Eve on my way upstairs;

she told me you were dressing.

MARGO:

That never stopped you before.

BILL:

Well, we started talking, she wanted

to know all about Hollywood, she

seemed so interested...

MARGO:

She's a girl of so many interests.

BILL:

It's a pretty rare quality these

days.

MARGO:

She's a girl of so many rare

qualities.

BILL:

So she seems.

MARGO:

(the steel begins to

flash)

So you've pointed out, so often. So

many qualities, so often. Her loyalty,

efficiency, devotion, warmth,

affection - and so young.

So young and so fair...

Bill catches the drift. Incredulously.

BILL:

I can't believe you're making this

up - it sounds like something out of

an old Clyde Fitch play...

MARGO:

Clyde Fitch, thought you may not

think so, was well before my time!

BILL:

(laughs)

I've always denied the legend that

you were in 'Our American Cousin'

the night Lincoln was shot...

MARGO:

I don't think that's funny!

BILL:

Of course it's funny - this is all

too laughable to be anything else.

You know what I think about this -

this age obsession of yours - and

now this ridiculous attempt to whip

yourself up into a jealous froth

because I spent ten minutes with a

stage-struck kid-

MARGO:

Twenty minutes!

BILL:

Thirty minutes, forty minutes! What

of it?

MARGO:

Stage-struck kid... she's a young

lady - of qualities. And I'll have

you know I'm fed up with both the

young lady and her qualities!

Studying me as if - as if I were a

play or a set of blueprints! How I

walk, talk, think, eat, sleep!

BILL:

Now how can you take offense at a

kid trying in every way to be as

much like her ideal as possible!

MARGO:

Stop calling her a kid! It so happens

there are particular aspects of my

life to which I would like to maintain

sole and exclusive rights and

privileges!

BILL:

For instance what?

MARGO:

For instance - you!

BILL:

This is my cue to take you in my

arms and reassure you - but I'm not

going to. I'm too mad-

MARGO:

Guilty.

BILL:

Mad! Darling, there are certain

characteristics for which you are

famous - on stage and off. I love

you for some of them - and in spite

of others. I haven't let those become

too important to me. They're part of

your equipment for getting along in

what is laughably called our

environment - you've got to keep

your teeth sharp. All right. But

you will not sharpen them on me or

on Eve...

MARGO:

What about her teeth? What about her

fangs?

BILL:

She hasn't cut them yet, and you

know it! So when you start judging

an idealistic dreamy-eyed kid by the

barroom, Benzedrine standards of

this megalomaniac society - I won't

have it! Eve Harrington has never by

word, look, thought or suggestion

indicated anything to me but her

adoration for you and her happiness

at our being in love! And to intimate

anything else doesn't spell jealousy

to me - it spells a paranoic

insecurity that you should be ashamed

of!

MARGO:

Cut! Print it! What happens in the

next reel? Do I get dragged off

screaming to the snake pit?

EVE'S VOICE

(quietly)

Miss Channing?

Bill and Margo look off. Eve is in the room. They have no

way of knowing how long she's been there.

EVE:

The hors d'oeuvres are here. Is there

anything else I can do?

MARGO:

Thank you, Eve. I'd like a Martini -

very dry.

BILL:

I'll get it.

(he crosses to Eve)

What'll you have?

Eve, involuntarily, looks to Margo.

MARGO:

A milkshake?

Eve smiles, turns to Bill.

EVE:

A Martini. Very dry, please...

Bill smiles back and starts across the landing toward the

pantry. As he crosses the stairs, Karen, Lloyd and Max come

up from the street level below. General greetings. Bill

continues up to pantry. Eve and then Margo come up to add

their welcome...

EVE:

(to Karen)

May I have your coat?

KAREN:

Don't bother, I can take it up

myself...

EVE:

Please...

Karen yields with a "thank you, Eve-." Eve goes up with the

coat. Lloyd looks after her approvingly.

LLOYD:

I like that girl. That quality of

quiet graciousness...

MARGO:

...Among so many quiet qualities.

They start for the living room.

KAREN:

Margo, nothing you've ever done has

made me as happy as your taking Eve

in...

MARGO:

I'm so happy you're happy.

MAX:

Look, you haven't been running a

settlement house exactly - the kid's

earned her way. You had a pretty

mixed-up inventory when she took

over - merchandise laying all over

the shop...

LLOYD:

You've got Margo mixed up with a

five-and-ten-cent store...

MARGO:

Make it Bergdorf Goodman... and now

everything is on its proper shelf,

eh, Max? Done up in little ribbons.

I could die right now and nobody'd

be confused. How about you, Max?

MAX:

How about me what?

They've come to a halt near the fireplace.

MARGO:

Supposed you dropped dead. What about

your inventory?

MAX:

I ain't gonna die. Not with a hit.

KAREN:

This is the most ghoulish

conversation...

Bill brings two Martinis. He hands one to Margo.

MARGO:

(it drips ice)

Thank you.

BILL:

Nothing, really...

MARGO:

The kid - junior, that is - will be

right down. Unless you'd like to

take her drink up to her...

BILL:

(smiles)

I can always get a fresh one. Karen

you're a Gibson girl...

He hands Eve's drink to Karen. Max has wandered off. Other

guests are arriving. Margo gulps her drink, hands Bill the

empty glass. He puts it on a passing tray. Margo takes a

fresh one at the same time.

LLOYD:

The general atmosphere is very

Macbethish. What has or is about to

happen?

MARGO:

(to Bill)

What is he talking about?

BILL:

Macbeth.

KAREN:

(to Margo)

We know you, we've seen you before

like this. Is it over - or just

beginning?

Margo surveys them all.

MARGO:

Fasten your seat belts. It's going

to be a bumpy night.

She downs the drink, hands the empty glass to Bill, and leaves

them. She passes two women, gabbing by the piano. As they

see her:

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote